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Archiver > PALANCAS > 2003-03 > 1047296956


From: Peggy Reeves <>
Subject: [PALANCAS] more about bounty land
Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2003 06:49:16 -0500
References: <3E6C209E.9CF70067@optonline.net>


Bounty land warrants were issued by the federal government for service in
the Revolution, the War of 1812, Indian Wars, and the Mexican War. Early
bounty land warrants had to be patented in specific states. Later warrants
could be cashed in for land patents anywhere on the public domain. The
purpose of bounty land was to encourage people to move west and settle new
territory.

You will find plenty of PA soldiers who received bounty land warrants for
their service, but they would not have used the warrants to patent land in
PA.

It's important to note that the bounty land warrant issued by the government
was a piece of paper, a document. It was either used by the soldier to
obtain a land patent, or sold to someone else for cash.

With the exception of the early-issued Revolutionary warrants that burned,
other bounty land records are at the National Archives. They are not listed
by state, but by soldier's name.

Peggy Reeves
Burtonsville, MD

----- Original Message -----
From: "JoEllen Brown" <>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2003 12:20 AM
Subject: Re: [PALANCAS] Revolutionary pensions and bounty land


> This is interesting. Do you know if there may have been bounty land
granted in Lancaster or York Counties?
>
> Peggy Reeves wrote:
>
> > The Revolutionary invalids and widows who were pensioned before the law
in
> > 1832 would not have any files available at the National Archives because
> > those all burned in a War Department fire in 1814, I believe (or
sometime
> > during the War of 1812). If you're lucky enough to have a pensioner (or
> > widow) who survived and filed under the 1832 pension law, those pension
> > files ARE available, on microfilm.
> >
> > Revolutionary bounty land records also burned in the same fire. There
were
> > laws passed in 1850 and 1855 that increased the amount of bounty land
that
> > war veterans were allowed, including any Revolutionary soldiers, widows,
or
> > heirs who were still around. It was possible for the soldier and his
wife
> > to both be dead, and a child of theirs file for and receive bounty land
> > based on the father's Revolutionary service. The tricky part was having
a
> > discharge certificate or enough live affiants to be able to prove that
the
> > veteran served.
> >
> > Peggy Reeves
> > Burtonsville, MD
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "James L. Stokes" <>
> > To: <>
> > Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2003 4:02 AM
> > Subject: Re: [PALANCAS] Patriots list
> >
> > > People who served in the Pa. Militia got pensions from the Federal
> > > Government as well, the catch is that, unless the person was killed or
> > > maimed in the Revolution he wasn't eligible until the 1832 Pension
law.
> > By
> > > that time most of the Revolutionary War soldiers were dead and those
that
> > > were alive were in their 70s or 80s. It wasn't until that time, when
most
> > > of the soldiers were dead that people began to appreciate their
efforts in
> > > the Revolution.
> > >
> > > Jim
> > > Conestoga Area Historical Society
> > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~pacahs/index.htm
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Joan Bretz" <>
> > > To: <>
> > > Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2003 1:27 AM
> > > Subject: Re: [PALANCAS] Patriots list
> > >
> > >
> > > > Yes, yes, my computer keyboard didn't like be awakened so late at
night
> > > and
> > > > typing while it was half asleep. Hence the oath in 1977.
> > > >
> > > > One other caveat I wanted to mention. The National Archives has
> > > information
> > > > on soldiers who served in the Continental Line, or regular army.
Many
> > of
> > > > our Lancaster PA ancestors were local militia and would not be on
record
> > > at
> > > > the Archives in military records or in the pension records. I
haven't
> > > > pursued the question of whether PA paid pensions to the militia.
The
> > > > primary source for PA militia, I believe, remains the published PA
> > > Archives.
> > > > Also there are some bits and pieces on microfilm available at the
> > offices
> > > of
> > > > the PA Archives institution here in Harrisburg.
> > > >
> > > > Hope you find George.
> > > >
> > > > Joan Bretz
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: "Madaline Preston" <>
> > > > To: <>
> > > > Sent: Friday, March 07, 2003 8:26 AM
> > > > Subject: Re: [PALANCAS] Patriots list
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --On Thursday, March 06, 2003 5:46 PM -0500 Joan Bretz
> > > > > <> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > It lists a George Meiser, Ensign in the 4th Co, 1st Battalion,
1777;
> > > > took
> > > > > > the Oath of Allegiance in July 1977.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks for taking the time to respond. Always nice to have help
out
> > > > there.
> > > > > Madaline
> > > > > --
> > > > > Preston, Madaline H
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > ==== PALANCAS Mailing List ====
> > > > > http://www.rootsweb.com
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > ==== PALANCAS Mailing List ====
> > > > Surnames in subject line.
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
> > ==== PALANCAS Mailing List ====
> > To unsubscribe first check and see if you are getting list or digest
mode then e-mail or
with unsubscribe in message.
>
> ______________________________


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